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The Menus of the GH4  and many other modern cameras are like a supermarket. You walk along the aisles and see a multitude of items. Some are of no interest to you but are desired by others with different preferences and practices. You can pick items from the shelves and relocate them to a more readily accessible place, such as the pantry in your kitchen,  where they are available for immediate use.

The GH4 can be considered to function similarly. The main menus are the supermarket. You can take items from the supermarket and duplicate them in the Q Menu or the Function buttons. The items remain functional in the main menus, by the way,  and can be adjusted in either location.

There are 35 items which can be allocated to the Q Menu and 55 which can be allocated to a Fn button. At first sight the decision making process might appear almost impossible. However there is a logical process which you can utilise to make the job manageable.

Newcomers to the GH4 can simply leave the Q Menu and Fn buttons at their default settings, go forth and make photos without further ado. The camera will work just fine.

There are 4 phases of camera use,

Setup, which is what we are doing right now. That is, making various menu selections which we do not expect to alter when out and about with the camera. Setup items can stay in the main menu system.

Prepare Phase  is the period of a minute or few just before a photo session. In this phase we reconfigure the camera for a new set of circumstances. It might be switching from general hand held photography to sport/action or to low light/tripod. You get the idea.

Items for adjustment in this phase can be conveniently allocated to the Q Menu. You will notice on Page 315/6 of the Manual that items which can be allocated to the Q menu are from the Rec, Motion Picture and Custom menus. There are no items from the Playback or Setup menus.

I suggest you go through the list of items for the Q menu and highlight those which you think might be useful in Prepare Phase of use.  Your selections will almost certainly change with experience.

The Q Menu can accept 15 items 5 of which can be seen at any time. Lateral scrolling is required if there are more than 5. 

You need to set the Q Menu item in the Custom Menu to Custom.

Exit the Custom Menu then press the Fn2/Q Menu button to enter the Q Menu. The process for setting up custom Q Menu items is well described on Page 315 of the Manual.

Each individual will have his or her own idea about which items to include. For the record I have Burst Rate, Self Timer, HDR, Stabiliser, Silent Mode, Auto Bracket, Peaking and Flash Adjust.

Capture Phase  Refers to the process of making pictures.  Many adjustments might be required in this phase, all of them quickly,  while looking through the viewfinder and without having to change grip with either hand.  

The Function buttons are a suitable place for adjustments required in Capture Phase.

Some of these adjustments have already been assigned to hard controls which cannot be changed. These are the Drive Mode dial, Focus Mode lever,  WB, ISO and +/- buttons and the Video Start button.

I suggest you look through the list on Page 318 of the Manual and think about which items you might like to adjust in Capture Phase.  Each individual will have a different idea about this. That is the point of a camera like the GH4, everybody gets to design their own personalised user interface.

There are 5 hard Fn buttons and, if the touch screen is active 5 more soft buttons.

For the record, my allocations are:

Fn1, Picture Quality

Fn2, Q Menu

Fn3, Autofocus Mode

Fn4, Level Gauge

Fn5, E-Shutter

I don't  use the touch screen.

The 4th phase of use is Review which is not particularly relevant to Q Menu or Fn button task allocations.

Notwithstanding the long list of tasks which can be allocated to the Q Menu or Function buttons there are still two which I use which require a trip to the main menus. These are Format (last on the Setup Menu list) and Shutter Delay which is on page 4/7 of the Rec Menu.  If I know I will be doing long exposure tripod work later in the evening I go into the Rec Menu, scroll down to highlight the Shutter Delay tab then exit by pressing Fn4.  This camera has Menu Resume which means that when I do want to access Shutter Delay I just need to press the Menu/Set button once and the menu system will open at the Shutter Delay tab.

Next,  some thoughts about setup switching for different subject scenarios.

Note that  many items from the Rec menu can usefully be assigned to the Q Menu or a Fn button for quick access without having to enter the Main Menu.

Photo Style  This applies to JPG images. Adjustments here will not affect RAW files. There are, as usual with a recent Panasonic camera many options.

You can select Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, etc. The list is on Page 140 of the Manual. OR

You can adjust each image characteristic separately. These are Contrast, Sharpness, Noise Reduction, Saturation and Hue.

My practice when shooting JPGs which I sometimes do especially for sport/action using Burst Mode is to stay with either the default which is Standard, or Natural which is very similar.

Aspect Ratio  The GH1 and GH2 (and some other Panasonic cameras) had a multi aspect ratio sensor which was larger than standard size so the image could be configured to 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9 each with the same diagonal angle of view and closely similar pixel count.

Unfortunately current model M43 sensors lack this feature. The native aspect ratio is 4:3, anything else is just a crop. So I always use 4:3 and crop later in Photoshop as required.

Picture Size, Quality  Picture Size refers to the number of pixels used at the point of capture. Quality refers to the level of file compression applied.

If the Quality setting (just below Picture Size) is RAW or RAW + JPG then Picture Size is set at 16 Mpx. If the Quality setting is one of the JPGs, Picture Size can be set to 16, 8 or 4 Mpx. 

You are paying a lot of money for this camera so I see little point in recording at anything less than 16 Mpx and RAW or best quality JPG.

AFS/AFF  The Focus mode lever around the AF/AE Lock button has space for only 3 positions but there are 4 Focus Modes. So you have to decide whether to assign AFS or AFF to the first position. AFS is straightforward AF single. AFF is one of those "helpful" settings which works like AFS for still subjects but if subject movement is detected transforms itself into a version of AFC. Supposedly. However when I read complaints about focus problems on Panasonic user forums they often involve the AFF setting.

So I select AFS here. That puts me not the camera in charge of deciding which Focus Mode I will use.

Metering Mode  There are three options, Multiple, Center Weighted or Spot. The easiest to use and the most reliable in a wide variety of situations is Multiple, which can be regarded as an advanced form of centerweighted.   Some pro photographers prefer centerweighted possibly as a result of long familiarity. Some beginners and enthusiasts get themselves in a mess trying to use Spot.

I use Multiple. It's not perfect and exposure compensation is sometimes required but it delivers a good result most of the time.

Burst Rate  This refers to the number of frames per second which can be recorded, subject to the buffer filling. The option set in the menu here will be applied when the Drive Mode Dial top left on the camera is set to the continuous position (second position). See Page 113 of the Menu.

SH  Super High, 40 fps. JPG only, no live view, AF on the first frame only.  E-Shutter. This is a check your golf swing setting except the club handle will distort severely due to the rolling shutter effect of the E-Shutter.

H  High, with AFS, 12 fps, focus on the first frame only, no live view on each frame. The mechanical shutter is enabled. This could be useful to record action at a fixed location with the framing and focus pre set. Tennis swing ?

H with AFC  gives 7 fps but still no live view on each frame so I see little point to this setting.

M  Medium, also gives 7 fps although this is lens dependent. The 12-35, 35-100 and 14-140mm lenses do and the 100-300mm lens does not give the full 7fps. The benefit of M is that you get live view and AF on every frame. This is the most useful setting for sport/action/wildlife/bird etc photos.  I set M.

L  Low gives 2 fps also with AF and live view on every frame and would be very useful for slow action.

Auto Bracket  See Page 116 of the Manual.  The setting you make here will be implemented when the Drive Mode Dial is moved to  AEB  (third position) There are 3 submenus.

* Single/Burst settings. Single means you have to activate the shutter for each exposure of the sequence separately. Burst means you hold down the shutter button or cable release button while all the exposures are made.

* Step.  You get lots of choice, from 3 shots at 1/3 step intervals to 7 shots at 1 step intervals.

I use 5 shots at 1 step intervals but if it was available I would use 3 shots at 2 stop intervals.

* Sequence. You get -/0/+, which makes the most sense to me, or 0/-/+ if desired.

And Still  there is no facility to combine Timer Delay with AEB. Come on Panasonic, it's just another  position on the Drive Mode Dial. If this was available it would remove the present requirement to use a wired remote or smartphone to trigger the shutter release.

Self Timer  Page 118 of the Manual. The setting made here will be implemented when the Drive Mode Dial is set to Timer (4th position). There are three options

* 10 seconds, 1 shot

* 10 seconds, 3 shots

* 2 Seconds 1 shot

The 10 second settings are generally used so the photographer can join the tour group photo. The 2 second setting is used to prevent camera shake on a tripod without having to use a remote trigger of some kind.

Time Lapse/Animation  Page 120-124 of the Manual. After making settings in the menu here the time lapse function is accessed on the Drive mode dial (last position). The description in the manual is quite lengthy so I won't try to summarise it here.

In this menu the submenu options are Mode (Time Lapse Shot or Stop Motion Animation), Start Time, Shooting Interval and Image Count.

I don't have useful experience with this feature and there have been several complaints about it on user forums, possibly because it's implementation is quite complex. I have not yet succeeded in making it work properly.

Now we come to a list of  enhancement functions applicable to JPG images: I am not quite sure what these are doing on a pro standard camera but I guess they form part of Panasonic's determination to include absolutely every conceivable option in the GH4.  I find these "helpful" features confusing and exhausting so I don't  use them routinely but have tried them all in the process of learning about the camera.  

There is some confusion, in my mind anyway, about the requirement for JPG capture with these functions. Some, such as iHDR and HDR are only selectable if capture  quality is set to JPG. Others like iDynamic and iResolution can be selected if RAW quality is set but only work properly with JPGs. Some can be set in the PASM Modes others only in iA Mode.

Highlight/Shadow  Page 142 in the Manual. This reprises a function which first appeared on Olympus M43 cameras a couple of years ago. You can apply correction to the highlight and shadow portions of the JPG tone curve pre capture.  You can save up to 3 presets for future use.

This might be useful if you are confronted with a subject having very low or high contrast. Note the effect is represented in the on screen playback image but this is a JPG. A RAW image file will not be affected. 

i Dynamic  Page 144, is another JPG image correction feature which has the effect of increasing dynamic range (highlight and shadow detail). On my tests this feature actually works. The camera basically underexposes the scene then lifts shadow tones to compensate. The result is better effective DR than standard JPG images. The cost is increased shadow noise.  You can select between Auto, High, Standard Low and Off.

i Resolution also on Page 144, is yet another JPG function which in this case tries to improve resolution by performing some kind of electronic manipulation affecting some parts of the frame in a different way from other parts. Or something like that. I have tried it with several Panasonic cameras and remain unconvinced of the benefits.   As usual there is a list of options from which to select.

iHandheld Night Shot  Page 72, JPG only, iA Mode only. I am a bit old fashioned and still believe that a tripod is the answer for night work, however for those times when no tripod is available this might be worth a try. The camera is supposed to detect that night has fallen and will shoot a burst of handheld frames which are combined in camera.

iHDR  iA only, JPG only. The camera detects a scene with high brightness range, quickly makes a burst of shots at different exposures and combines them in camera. I tried this, it works. I have no idea how one decides when to use iHDR and when to use iDynamic.

HDR  This is different from iHDR. This one can be used in the PASM modes but is still JPG only. It combines 3 pictures with different levels of exposure into a single output photo with high DR.  You get to select the exposure interval (Auto, 1, 2 or 3 stops) and whether to apply auto align or not.  On my limited testing this feature actually works and produces decent results. I should try it more often and have moved it up to the Q Menu for that purpose. There have been some occasions which I have encountered recently which could have benefited from this feature.

Multi Exposure  Maybe one day I will figure out how to make this feature work properly but today it is not to be. I have played around with this using the GH3 and GH4 and never managed to understand how it works or is intended to work. I read the instructions on Page 168 of the Manual but the events which are supposed to happen do not.

 

 

Electronic ShutterWhile the previous seven features may be of uncertain usefulness most of the time, now we come to one which is front and central essential to effective operation of Panasonic M43 cameras. All of these cameras to date (except the GM1 which has electronic first curtain) have a mechanical shutter with 4 phase (close/open/close/open) action. This causes Shutter Shock with some lenses at some focal lengths and some shutter speeds. This shock leads to blurring with double imaging. The ultimate cure for this pesky problem is the yet to materialise global shutter. But until that day the options are electronic first curtain and fully electronic shutter.

The GH4 does not offer electronic first curtain for reasons unknown to me but it does have E Shutter. I regard this as Essential  for all general photography with certain lenses such as the very popular 14-140mm Mk2.

As a general rule I use E-Shutter with all general handheld photography particularly in the shutter speed range 1/20 - 1/200 sec. For moving subjects/sport/action I use the  mechanical shutter (to prevent distortion of moving objects) and a shutter speed of 1/400 sec or faster.

For shutter speeds slower than 1 second I use Shutter Delay as described below.

E Shutter should be allocated to a Fn button for ready access.

Shutter Delay  E Shutter has several limitations one of which is that it cannot be used for exposures longer than 1 second, I know not why. So for night tripod work some other means of minimising the effects of shutter shock is required.

Shutter Delay to the rescue. When On this closes the shutter when the shutter release button is pressed,  then delays opening the shutter for the exposure. It appears most of the shock effect comes from the first shutter closure so delaying the first opening controls most shock problems especially with exposure longer than 2 seconds.

For night tripod work I set 4 seconds delay to allow shake both from pressing the shutter release button and the first shutter closure to settle. Results are satisfactory as shown in the photo of Perth Western Australia at night at the top of this post. This was made on a very light tripod (0.95 Kg) with no cable release.

Unfortunately Shutter Delay cannot be assigned to the Q menu. I am hopeful that this is just an oversight which could be rectified with a firmware update.

Flash  Note, flash does not work with E-Shutter, so if your flash menu is greyed out in the Rec Menu, deselect E-Shutter.

Panasonic has some very sophisticated flash functions including wireless off camera operation with some Panasonic units allowing commander control by the inbuilt unit.

For the inbuilt unit the options are Firing Mode, Flash Mode, Flash Synchro, Flash Adjust, Auto Exposure Comp, Manual Flash Adjust, Wireless, Wireless Channel.

See Page 183 for all the details.

I mostly use flash to fill shadows with backlit subjects. For this I set Firing Mode TTL, Flash Mode Forced On, Flash Synchro 1st, Flash Adjust -1 EV, Red Eye Removal Off.

ISO Limit Set  In the GH3 You can set ISO with one dial and ISO Limit Set with the other dial, both on the same screen after pressing the ISO button.  But for some reason unknown to me the GH4 is different. You can only access ISO Limit Set via the Rec Menu.  So I just set the limit at 25600 and leave it.

ISO Increments  The camera automatically provides 1/3 step increments for aperture and shutter speed so there is no need for 1/3 stop increments of ISO as well. I just set 1 EV.

Extended ISO  This allows an ISO of less than 200 to be set. With Extended ISO 100 can be set.  I am not clear why this is offered as an extension. I have read opinion that dynamic range may be less at ISO 100 than 200.

Long Shtr Noise Reduction  Page 146. This works by creating a blank exposure the same duration as the initial exposure, during which noise is identified and reduced. My experiments with this show that the shutter speed and ISO level which trigger the NR function vary and are calculated by the camera. I switch it On.

Shading Comp  This works with RAW files and reduces darkening which often appears in frame corners. The temptation would be to leave it On all the time but it could potentially slow frame rates in Burst Mode with AFC, due to the extra processing required. My tests did not indicate any such slowing but that could be to some extent lens dependent.

I generally leave it Off just in case.

Ex. Tele Conv. and Digital Zoom  are both JPG only digital zoom features.

I prefer Ex.Tele Conv. for still photos because it allows normal display and operation of the active AF area. Options are Zoom, Tele Conv and Off.  With Tele Conv option,  if the Picture size is set to 8Mpx image enlargement is 1.4x linear. If Picture Size is set to 4 Mpx image enlargement is 2x linear.

Video users appear to prefer Digital Zoom. This records in 16 mpx picture size but the active AF area is not adjustable.

My tests show that  cropped RAW (converted to JPG),  Ex. Tele Conv and Digital Zoom each give virtually identical results when displayed at the same final output image size.

Panasonic's claim that Ex.Tele Conv increases tele effect without degradation of image quality has to be qualified with the question 'compared to what ' ?

Color Space   Always set this to Adobe RGB. I see no point using sRGB if  the larger Adobe color space is available.

StabiliserSeveral lenses lack an OIS switch on the lens barrel so their stabiliser has to be controlled via a menu. This is one for the Q Menu or a Fn button.

Face Recog  This is spooky stuff. Beyond face detect we have face recognition. Presumably you would activate this feature if you think the camera will do a better job of recognising a particular person than you will. There is a long explanation of the procedure starting on Page 173. It seems you can delete the faces of  presumably undesirable persons from your group photos.  Amazing, yes. Useful ??

Profile Setup  allows you to record the names and birthdays of your babies and pets on images.  Wow !!

And on that slightly bizarre note this post about the Rec Menu ends.  At least nobody can accuse Panasonic of holding back features.

 

The Custom Menu  hosts a long list of items which don't obviously belong in the Rec or Setup Menus.

Cust.Set.Mem  This is the place to assign a group of settings to a Custom Mode. The procedure is quite straightforward. First ensure that ALL Menu, Q menu, WB, ISO, +/- buttons  and Fn button settings are as you want them for the intended use and that the Main Mode Dial is where you want it. Set your preferred aperture if using A Mode or shutter speed if using S Mode, or both is using M Mode. Then simply follow the screen prompts to allocate all those settings to one of the Custom Modes. Once in a Custom Mode you can change all settings as usual. They will revert to the saved settings when you switch to a different mode than back to the original one.

I actually find this feature more useful on Panasonic's intermediate models such as the G6 which does not have direct hard control access to Drive Mode and Focus Mode. Neither of these Modes can be included in a Custom Mode on the GH4 as they are accessed via labelled hard controls. In addition OIS setting on lenses with an OIS switch on the lens barrel cannot be included in a Custom Mode.

Silent Mode  This is very useful especially for environments which demand quiet camera operation. This switches E-Shutter On and all beeps Off. Note that there are still physical functions which are not silent. These are

* Aperture mechanism which is quite audible even with my poor hearing 2 meters from the  camera in some lenses such as the 12-35mm f2.8 when stopped down.

* OIS mechanism and focus mechanism both of which are audible with one's ear on or very close to the lens.

AF/AE Lock  This sets the function of the AF/AE Lock button. Individual preferences vary. The GH4 gives you plenty of choice, between AE lock, AF lock or both. I set the 4th (bottom) option, AF ON. This operates like back button focus on a pro style DSLR. In AFS it starts and locks focus. In AFC it commences and continues AFC. Note that on the GH4 setting the back button to AF On still enables AF with half press of the shutter button. So you can initiate AF either way without having to change settings.

AF/AE Lock HoldThis determines how the lock hold function operates. With this function Off, AF or AE is locked while the AF/AE Lock button is held down. With the function On, AF or AE is locked with a single short press of the button.

AF/AE Lock Hold is inactive if AF-ON is set for the function of the AF/AE Lock button.

Shutter AF  This determines whether half press of the shutter button will initiate AF or not. If you want to fully separate autofocus from autoexposure, set AF/AE Lock to AF ON and Shutter AF to Off.

I leave it On so I can initiate AF with either the shutter button or back button.

Half Press Release  If set to On the shutter will fire with half press of the shutter release button. I am not quite sure of the purpose of this feature. Maybe it is intended to produce a super speedy shutter response. I always leave it Off as having the shutter fire on half press would confuse me no end. When time permits I like to half press, confirm focus has been achieved then full press.

Quick AF  has AF working continuously prior to capture even when AFS is set on the Focus Mode lever. Presumably this is intended to speed up proceedings but it does use more power than standard AF. I leave it Off.

Eye Sensor AF  This is another feature designed to speed up proceedings. AF is activated by bringing the eye to the viewfinder eyepiece. It works just fine but I leave it Off just because I prefer to have a bit more control over the camera's behaviour.

Pinpoint AF Time  When you use Pinpoint AF the camera automatically magnifies a small section of the image at and around the focus point so you can see exactly what is in focus. The magnified frame within a frame appears for a  time. Options are Long, Mid and Short. Mid gives about one second which suits me well enough. It gives me an opportunity to check focus without slowing down the capture flow too much.

AF Assist Lamp  Low light AF sensitivity on the GH4 is so great that I hardly ever use it. The camera will focus (slowly) without the lamp in light so low you can hardly see. The lamp does speed up AF acquisition in very low light and could be useful if flash will be the light source for capture.

Direct Focus Area  With this On, the active AF area is highlighted and starts to move immediately when any part of the Control Dial is pressed. If  Direct Focus Area  is  Off  it is necessary to press another button (which one depends on Fn button function allocations)  to activate the AF area prior to moving it with the Control dial.

I always set Direct Focus Area On. The camera has clearly been designed to operate this way with no other functions allocated to the Cursor Buttons (4 way controller).  This allows the user to change AF area position and size very quickly. Recenter  AF area with the Disp button.

Focus/Release Priority  This option may be particularly relevant to AFC/continuous Drive. If Release Priority is set the camera will take the shot even if it thinks exact focus has not been achieved. If Focus Priority is set the camera will try to confirm focus before activating the shutter.  Since I have no interest in out of focus shots I always set Focus Priority.

AF+MF  When On this allows focus to be adjusted manually (with focus assist if set) after autofocus has operated (half press the shutter button or AF/AE Lock button and hold). When combined with Peaking this allows very fine tune of focus. I always set it On.

MF Assist   This zooms into the frame when manual focus is operating. It can be set to activate by turning the focus ring on the lens, pressing the Fn3 button , both or Off. The amount of zoom can be controlled with the front and rear dials. I set MF Assist to operate when the focus ring is turned as that seems the natural thing to do.

MF guide  When On this brings up a horizontal analogue distance indicator in the lower part of the frame. This could assist with turning the focus ring the correct way. Unfortunately no specific focus distance is indicated, just a flower symbol on the right and a mountain symbol on the left.

Peaking  At last peaking comes to Panasonic's top camera. On the GH4 it is well implemented with  numerous options. There are two Detect Levels, High and Low and three colors at each detect level. Page 111 of the Manual has the details. The High setting is described as being more precise than the Low setting.   I have it at High and Light Blue which seems to work well.

Some people are sceptical  about peaking but if well implemented as is the case with the GH4 I find it effective and useful.

Histogram  This is a real time pre capture histogram, presumably representing the JPG which the camera would produce from the scene presented to it at the current settings. When this feature became available on digital cameras a few years ago I dutifully put it on the screen. But now I leave it Off. It uses up a big chunk of the image preview area, it distracts me from making the shot and the GH4 (and all current and past Panasonic cameras in my experience) gets the exposure right pretty much every time. So for those  fussy users who want to expose to the right and want to use Exposure Compensation a lot the real time histogram may be of some use.

Guide Line Now here is a more useful feature. You get 4 options, 2x2, Double diagonal, 1x1 and Off. I use 1x1 which presents one vertical and one horizontal line both of which can be placed anywhere. I run both of them through the frame center. In that position the vertical one is very useful for ensuring the camera is held level particularly with architectural subjects.

Center Marker  This is a new feature for the GH4. It's a minor addition but I have it On to help locating the frame center.

Highlight  This for some reason unknown to me is in the Custom Menu but refers to behaviour in Playback. If a part of the picture has blown out highlights those areas will flash black and white (a.k.a. "blinkies"). I find this useful so I leave it On. Note that with RAW capture useful detail can often be retrieved from blinking overexposed areas.

Zebra Pattern  This is like a preview version of blinkies with several options for use. The details are on Page 210 of the Manual. You can have right leaning or left leaning zebra pattern and set the brightness (as a percentage) to be displayed as a zebra pattern. I have to confess I am still experimenting with zebras. I find them quite distracting so am inclined to switch them Off. However they do provide a pre capture indication of highlight overexposure which is more user friendly than the histogram. I am currently trialling a level of 100% which seems to set a reasonable balance between sensitivity and distraction.

Monochrome Live view  If you want to see what the world looks like in monochrome this is the place. I leave it off and forgot the feature existed until I trawled through the Menus for this post. It could be a useful feature however for the photographer anticipating monochrome for final output.

Constant Preview  This one is very useful. When On, the live view image becomes lighter or darker as Exposure Compensation is changed or as Aperture and/or Shutter speed are altered in Manual Mode. This is beneficial when photographing in ambient light. But when photographing with flash it may be best to switch this feature Off so you can see the subject properly in preview.

Expo.Meter  This is a large display of the aperture and shutter speed combinations which would result in correct exposure,  spread out across the lower part of the preview screen.  It is only visible with some Display options (cycled with the Disp button). Panasonic cameras have had this feature as an option  for several years. I find it a complete distraction from the capture process and  always switch it off.

LVF Disp. Style and Monitor Disp. Style  You can set the EVF  (called LVF in Panasonica land) and Monitor to either "SLR" style with key camera data beneath the preview image on a black background strip or "Monitor" style which provides a larger preview image but the key camera data is overlaid on the lower part of the image. I set both to "SLR" style which makes the camera data much more consistently easy to read. This means I can be aware of the shutter speed, aperture and ISO is use at all times while in Capture Phase of use.

Monitor Info. Disp  When the Disp. button is pressed repeatedly the monitor display changes in data content. One of the display screens (not available on the EVF)  has no preview image, just  camera data info. This is not a live control panel, the data cannot be changed from this screen. I never use it but I can see that it provides a quick reference guide to many current settings. If set to Off, the screen does not display.

Rec. Area The angle of view and aspect ratio for still photo may differ from that used for motion picture. This sets one or the other.

Video-Priority Display  This appears to be self explanatory.

Auto Review  When On,  Auto Review automatically plays back the photo last captured. It can be set to Hold or 5-1 seconds or, of course Off.

A submenu is Playback Operation Priority. When On, this allows review functions to operate during Auto Review.

I always switch Auto Review Off. I will review photos at a time of my choosing, which is never immediately post capture.

Fn button Set and Q Menu will be covered in a later  post.

Dial Set  There are three submenus

1. In Manual Exposure Mode, the dials can be allocated as Aperture (Front) Shutter Speed (Rear) or the reverse.  Select the one which you find most comfortable, possibly in line with previous experience with another camera.

2. Rotation direction can be as per default or the reverse. Beware messing with this, changes can be confusing.

3. Exposure Compensation can be assigned to either dial directly.  This operates in P, A, and S Modes. It may be tempting to use this feature however I have tried it and found an unacceptable frequency of unintentional +/- activation as a result. It is safer if slightly slower to confine initiation of +/- to the +/- hard button behind the front dial.

Video Button  If like me you have no use for video switch the video button Off. Unfortunately it cannot be otherwise assigned.

Power Zoom Lens  This function is only available when a PZ lens is fitted.

Lens W/O Focus Ring  Panasonic does currently supply a lens without focus ring for the GM1. It will work on other M43 cameras including the GH4 although the big body/small lens combination might be an odd match. Anyway the instructions for focussing become accessible if such a lens is mounted.

Eye Sensor  There are 2 submenus. The first is Sensitivity. Some users have complained that Panasonic EVF proximity sensors are a bit too sensitive. I set Low.

The second submenu selects operation of  LVF (EVF)/Monitor switching. The options are LVF/Mon. Auto, LVF and Mon(itor).

Note that if the LVF/Fn5 button has been allocated a function other than LVF/Monitor switching (I use it to select E-Shutter /Mecha shutter)   then it is not available for LVF/Monitor switching. In this case you may want to set LVF/Mon. Auto so the proximity sensor automatically switches to the EVF when you look in it.

Why might you want manual LVF/Monitor switching ? When the camera is held at waist level with the fully articulated monitor swung out to one side, you want to hold the camera close in to the body for stability. But if the proximity sensor is active this switches the monitor off, so you have to hold the camera out about 20cm from the body which is less stable.

There is another way to get around this problem and it makes the proximity sensor redundant.  Set the LVF/Monitor Switch submenu to Mon(itor). Now the Monitor is always active if it is visible. However  if you close the monitor facing in to the camera this will automatically activate the EVF. Simple.  I usually set up the GH4 this way as I generally turn the monitor inwards for protection when using the EVF.

I discovered this when using the FZ200 which has no proximity sensor. Many people who criticised the camera for it's lack of proximity sensor did not realise that switching is automatic, it just requires the monitor to be turned inward.

Touch Settings  There are 4 submenus, Touch Screen, Touch Tab, Touch AF and Touch Pad AF. The details are on page 314 of the Manual.  If Touch Screen is Off the other submenu items are disabled.

Some users like touch screens and complain about cameras which are not so fitted. The problem with a touch screen is that it requires the user to look at the screen not at the subject and not through the viewfinder. It is thus a distraction from the capture process.

Some users have reported a positive experience with Touch Pad AF. This allows the active focus area to be moved  around the frame by touch even when looking through the EVF. There are two versions, Exact and Offset. I have tried both and found either to be an awkward, clumsy, difficult to control  alternative to Direct Focus Area using the cursor buttons (Control Dial).

But, give it a go.

Touch screen operation could be viable with the camera on tripod, when you don't have to hold it and will probably use the monitor for viewing.

I note in passing that most pro level cameras do not offer touch screen operation presumably because pro photographers do not want it.

Touch Scroll This switches the speed for forwarding or rewinding pictures continuously. Page 314 of the Manual.

Menu Guide  This is something of a mystery item, with a confusing name.  It displays the selection screen for the Creative Control Mode. So if you set Creative Control Mode on the Main Mode Dial and the screen does not display the items described on Page 77 of the Manual it is because this item buried in the Custom Menu is set to Off. Go figure.

Shoot W/O Lens  Set this to On so the camera can operate without a lens mounted if required. I use it to observe operation of the 4 phase mechanical shutter.

Next post  Recording Menu.

 

The GH4 is one of the most comprehensively specified cameras ever produced with an amazing array of features, specifications, functions and capabilities for still and motion picture. The camera can be extensively configured for individual preference.  

This little series  of posts on setting up the GH4  reflects my own use of the camera. As a result I am unable to provide the new user with guidance on some aspects of the camera's many capabilities.  The GH4 resembles Adobe Photoshop. It has a multitude of sophisticated functions and capabilities enabled by software (firmware). Each individual user has the option to select some capabilities and ignore others.

* I do not do motion picture at all. This is simply an individual preference. Some might think it sacrilege to buy the most capable video/stills hybrid camera ever made then not use the video component. But there it is. You can read all about motion picture starting at Page 191 of the Owners Manual.

* I do not use any touch screen functions. I have tried them all in a succession of Panasonic cameras and have concluded that touch screen operation just gets in the way of a streamlined picture taking workflow.

* I do not use Wi-Fi /NFC. Not yet, anyway. Maybe in the future it might find a place in my workflow.  A very comprehensive description of Wi-Fi begins on Page 254 of the Manual.

* I have no interest in image editing in camera, which receives extensive coverage starting on Page 221 of the Manual. I shoot RAW, transfer images to the computer using Adobe Bridge, perform initial editing in Adobe Camera RAW 8.5, then on to Photoshop CC2014 for final editing if required.

If you have never before  used a recent model Panasonic M43 camera your first encounter with the GH4 might be a bit daunting.  Operation of  almost everything on board can be configured by the user by choosing from a multitude of options. Fortunately the newcomer can set the main Mode Dial to iA or P, leave all the Fn buttons at default and proceed to make pictures immediately.

After a familiarisation period you will probably want to start setting up the camera to suit your personal preferences.

Custom Modes  The GH4  allows you to memorise five completely different camera configurations. This works via the Custom Modes on the Main Mode dial. These are C1, C2, C3-1, C3-2, C3-3. Unfortunately you can't personalise the name of each Custom Mode, so you need to write down somewhere which Mode does what.

Each Custom Mode will memorise most of the Main Menu, Q Menu and Fn function settings plus the Main Mode Dial setting present at the time the Custom Mode is set.
Some menu items are not registered as custom settings. These are listed at the bottom of Page 321 of the Manual.

The only settings which cannot be attributed to a Custom Mode are those of  the Drive Mode dial and the Focus Mode lever, for the simple reason that these are hard (physical, not electronic) controls.

So, you might want different groups of settings for general photography, sport/action, tripod and motion picture, for instance.  No problem. I note in passing that there is currently much enthusiasm in the camera commentariat for retro style cameras which use a control layout lacking a Mode Dial. This type of user interface finds no favour with me for many reasons, just one of which is that it is unable to provide Custom Modes. I fail to understand why, in the electronic era one would make cameras which deliberately underutilise the potential benefits of electronic operation.

Viewfinder diopter  Viewfinder eyepiece diopter can be adjusted to personal preference with the knurled wheel on the right side of the eyepiece. I have found it is worth rechecking this several times in the first few weeks of use to make sure of optimal sharpness.

Throughout this guide  I indicate my own menu selections with reasons as appropriate. This is in no way prescriptive but might help a new user to streamline the process of setting up the camera. There are a LOT of decisions to make.

Setup Menu  This, as you might expect, is the place to begin setting up the camera.

* Clock Set.  You will be prompted to set this when the camera is first switched on.  World Time and Travel Date are there for you to play with.

* Wi-Fi. There is extensive coverage of this feature in the  Advanced Owners Manual.

* Beep. Adjust Beep volume and E-Shutter volume to personal preference.

* Speaker Volume and Headphone Volume. Adjust to personal preference.

* Live View Mode. This item is confusingly named.  It appears to be a reference to the EVF refresh rate, although the Manual doesn't say whether the monitor is also affected. 60 fps is supposed to give a smoother response when panning but use more power. I found little difference between 30 and 60 fps in practice.

* Monitor Display (Note: to adjust EVF display simply look in the viewfinder while making adjustments. Both the monitor and EVF have the same adjustments).  You can change Brightness, Contrast/Saturation (increased contrast produces increased saturation) green/red color balance and yellow/blue color balance.

For the record I have left all monitor settings to default.  I set the EVF to Brightness +1, Contrast/Saturation to -1, Color balance to neutral.

Each individual has different brightness sensitivity and color perception so can benefit from the adjustments available.

* Monitor Luminance. I just leave this at the default setting which is Auto. But you get the option of more direct control if desired.

* Economy. Here you select elapsed times with the camera idle before entering  Sleep Mode and Auto EVF (LVF)/Monitor Off.  I set 5 minutes for each.

* Battery Use Priority.  This comes into play if the accessory battery grip is fitted. It tells the camera which battery to drain first.

* USB mode and TV connection are both about connectivity options. Select to personal preference.

* Menu Resume. When set On, each menu opens at the item last used. This is a very useful feature for quickly finding items most often used. In my case that would be Format in the Setup Menu. When preparing for low light tripod work it can be useful to pre locate Shutter delay in the Rec Menu so it is easily found in Prepare Phase of use.

* Menu Background. You get to play with the options here. Select to personal preference. I find the second option from the top easiest to read.

* Menu Information. For someone unfamiliar with Panasonic menus it might be worth leaving this On initially. When you are familiar with the camera switch this Off to declutter the screen a bit.

* Language.

* Version Disp. Here the current Firmware version of body and lens (if mounted) are displayed.

* Exposure Comp Reset. If set On, then any exposure compensation set during a shooting session will be automatically cancelled when the camera is switched off. I always set this feature to On because I often forget to reset Exposure Comp. Obviously I am not the only forgetful one.

* No. Reset allows you to reset the file number of a picture.  Reset returns all settings to shipping condition (default) and Reset Wi-Fi settings does what it says.

* System Frequency. In previous model Panasonic cameras motion picture settings were region specific, e.g. PAL or NTSC. But now all the cameras are the same and all can be set to preference. At last, thank goodness.

* Pixel Refresh. This optimises the imaging device and processing. Presumably something to be used if hot or blank pixels appear in your images.

* Sensor Cleaning. This is performed automatically every time the camera is switched on by vibrating the optical filter in front of the sensor, but can also be activated via this menu item.

* Format. This initialises the memory card, effectively erasing all data.  Because I test equipment a lot and make a lot of photos I use this frequently.

Hint: Always press the Playback button before formatting to ensure you are not about to wipe out precious images.  

I always format a new card in the camera before using it and always format a card which has previously been used in a different camera. If this is not done files may become corrupted.

As a result of my workflow as described above, I have very little use for the Playback menu. I just leave everything at default. I make sure that Rotate.Disp is On so that pictures taken in portrait orientation are automatically rotated 90 degrees for playback.

The process of reviewing images on the monitor (or EVF, it works the same providing a seamless segue from one to the other)  is very sophisticated. After pressing the Playback button to bring up the last captured image you can

--Move from one image to the next with the Front Dial.

--Zoom into the displayed image, or zoom back to display several frames,  with the Rear Dial.

--Move the magnified area around the frame with the Control Dial.

--Scrolling with the front dial will move from one frame to the next at the same zoom level and the same frame location.

This is a very efficient way to quickly review a series of images of the same subject such as a portrait.  The three dial configuration does have advantages.

About 10 years ago  I stopped using the neck straps supplied by camera makers and switched to shoe laces.

* I rarely carry a camera by the neck strap. I carry a camera as shown in the photograph, ready for immediate use or in a bag. You can see the shoelace strap is wrapped around my wrist.

* The neck strap is for changing lenses, a two handed operation.

* Standard neck straps are excessively wide and bulky. They consume too much space in a camera bag.

* If the camera has strap lugs of the type seen on the GH4 a normal neck strap requires those pesky little triangular metal connector thingies, which I hate.

* Shoe laces are plenty strong and durable enough. I have never had a problem with them.

If the strap lugs are round type as seen on the GH4 and many cameras, I use round shoelaces. I cut off the crimped plastic ends and taper the cut end with a soldering iron. This allows the lace to be threaded through the round eye. A cut length of 90 cm is about right. I tie off the lace with a bowline and tidy up the loose end with a bit of black electrical tape.

If the strap lugs are of the D type, flat laces can be used. These can be sewn in or tied as above.

Result   Light weight, minimal bulk, maximum convenience and utility.  The ideal camera accessory.

 

The recently released GH4  looks the same and mostly works the same as the GH3, Panasonic's previous, and still available, top tier pro level, hybrid stills/video camera.

So, is it worth the cost to upgrade from the GH3 to the GH4 ?  Let's see the differences between them.

* Top of the list is the very well advertised 4K video which comes to a consumer camera for the first time in the GH4. So heavily has this feature been promoted that the prospective buyer might be inclined to think the GH4 is for motion pictures and little else.

I think of the GH4 as two extremely sophisticated capture device in one body,  one for motion picture the other for stills.  

I use the GH4 exclusively for still photos. So this post compares the two cameras for still photo capture. There is a great abundance of commentary available elsewhere about motion picture capabilities. 

* Next comes the electronic viewfinder. The EVF is the feature of the GH3 that drew the most criticism. The GH4 has a completely new EVF and optics which answers all the criticisms of the previous one. It is a delight to use. I posted about it recently on this blog.

* The GH4 has much improved continuous autofocus capability. With the right lens, for instance the 35-100mm, 12-35mm or 14-140mm f3.5-5.6, the GH4 delivers almost twice the frame rate, a noticeably reduced EVF blackout time and a substantially higher rate of sharply in focus frames when follow focussing on moving subjects. I have posted about it recently.

Specifications and features    In no particular order here follows a list of features of the GH4, most but not all of which represent an upgrade from the GH3.

* Auto ISO in Manual Exposure Mode.  At last, after many requests by users, Panasonic has finally offered this capability. I use it frequently. For instance if I am shooting with the 100-300mm lens at the long end, I want the shutter speed at 1/1600sec for sharp pix hand held (1/600sec is definitely not fast enough and even 1/1000sec gets me some unsharp frames) and f8 for best image quality. So I set those two exposure parameters and the camera adjusts ISO to ensure correct exposure.

* Peaking is now available in Manual Focus Mode. This is another  feature frequently requested by users. On the GH4 it is well implemented with numerous options and it works very well.

* Extended ISO now goes down to 1/100sec, was previously 1/125sec.

* Highlight/shadow/tone curve adjustment is available in the EVF or monitor, prior to capture.

* Face detect adds eye detect and puts cross lines on the selected eye, usually the nearest.

* E-Shutter scans the sensor in 1/15 sec which is faster than the GH3's 1/10 sec. This should offer less rolling shutter effect (distortion of subjects moving in relation to the camera). In addition the highest ISO setting available with E-Shutter has increased from 1600 to 3200.

There is a possible downside to the increased scanning speed. One blogger has reported that with E Shutter the GH4 captures at 10 bits instead of the usual 12 bits available on M43 cameras and the GH4 with mechanical shutter.

* There are many improvements to the manual focus and autofocus capabilities of the GH4. I have posted about this here.

23 Area AF on the GH3 becomes 49 Area on the GH4. 1 Area AF can be set anywhere in the frame.

* There is an extra position on the Drive Mode dial for time lapse.

* Still, you cannot set AEB +Timer delay. They are occupy separate positions on the Drive Mode dial. There is no position which combines both. Furthermore there is still no facility to actuate the shutter mechanism once and have all 3 or 5 AEB frames fire automatically. So as with the GH3 you still need a wired remote shutter cable or smartphone app.

* There is an item in the Setup Menu called [Live View Mode] which is a bit confusing. It is said to refresh the "Live View Screen" but doesn't clarify if that is the EVF or monitor or both, at 30 or 60 fps. The 60fps setting is supposed to provide smoother panning at the expense of greater power use.  I tried both and had difficulty convincing myself there was a difference.

* Part of the AF/MF upgrade is about being able to seamlessly integrate AF with MF. On the GH3 you can focus manually while in an Autofocus Mode. Now with the GH4 this is still available but you can also autofocus with the AFL/AEL button while in Manual Focus Mode. This is handy to get quickly to the desired focus point ready for manual fine tuning.

* AF area size can now be adjusted in large steps with the rear dial and smaller steps with the front dial. This might be considered overkill but it does allow almost any AF area size and position to be quickly set.

* Pinpoint AF has additional options for screen magnification, also using the front and rear dials.

* Zoom level in MF Assist can also be adjusted with the front and rear dials, also using the rear dial>large steps, front dial>small steps feature which operates on several functions on the GH4.

*Silent Mode is available on the GH3 as a firmware update. It is built into the GH4.

* Flash shutter speed has increased from 1/160sec to 1/250sec.

* Top shutter speed is up from 1/4000sec to 1/8000sec. This could be useful in bright light if a wide lens aperture is used. Shutter longevity rating has increased from 100000 to 200000 cycles.

* The GH4 has extensive options for in camera playback of images including RAW processing and image editing.

* Wi Fi is available and compatible with NFC on the GH4.  There is extensive coverage of Wi Fi features in the owners manual.

* The Owners Manual has increased to a massive 420 pages. The full version is still available only as a PDF.   However it is better designed than before. In particular navigating the PDF is more coherent and streamlined than before.  The GH4 owners manual is the first one from Panasonic that I feel reasonably confident of being able to use without having to print the whole thing out.

* The list of items assignable to the Q menu has increased from 24 to 35. However the maximum which can be carried on the Q Menu is 15 of which only 5 are visible without scrolling.

* The list of items assignable to a Function button has increased from 39 to 54. In addition the GH4 has more soft Fn buttons if you want to use the touch screen feature. Just for fun I worked out that if you used all the hard and soft Fn buttons the total number of possible combinations of Fn button functions would be  86839771950000000, or something like that.

I will post a series on "setting up the GH4" soon to help new and maybe some not so new owners manage the hyper configurable environment of an upper spec Panasonic camera. There is a logical approach to it, which makes the task considerably less daunting than might appear initially.

* There appears to have been a backwards step with the auto ISO upper limit setting. On the GH3 you can change ISO with one dial and auto ISO upper limit with the other dial. But on the GH4 the auto ISO upper limit can only be set in the Rec Menu. I was unable to find any other way to do it. So I just set 25800 as the upper limit and leave it at that.

* There also appears to have been a backwards step with flash exposure compensation. On the GH3 you can change exposure compensation with one dial and flash exposure compensation with the other dial, while looking at the same screen. But on the GH4 the quickest access to flash exposure compensation appears to be the Q menu, to which this can be allocated.

Summary  The GH4 is the most highly specified camera I have ever encountered. Panasonic has included almost every conceivable feature, specification, option and capability in the one amazingly capable device. Other manufacturers hold features back from some models forcing buyers to change models or buy several bodies to access different capabilities. Some have touch screen some do not. Some have a fully articulated monitor, some do not.  Some have high grade video some do not.   The list goes on....

But the GH4 has the lot. A novice could pick up the camera, set iA Mode  and use it as a point and shoot device. Yet it can function as a professional video or stills camera or both at once if desired.

The user can choose which of the camera's myriad functions he or she wishes to utilise. These choices can be altered at any time without having to invest in a different camera body.

What about image quality ?  You will notice I did not mention picture quality in the list of features above. Adobe Camera Raw 8.5 final has only just become available as I write this so I have not done systematic picture quality comparisons yet. However the GH4 has a DXO Mark score only 3 points greater than the GH3  so I do not expect much difference to emerge from real world testing. My subjective impression is that the GH4 performs better at high ISO settings but we shall see.

Is the GH4  worth the upgrade cost from a GH3 ? 

For still photos I would say yes if: 

* You regard EVF quality as an important part of the user experience.

* You want the GH4's superior burst rate and follow focus performance with moving subjects.

Otherwise keep your GH3 or buy one new at the current discounted price or get one second hand.

Just a word about used GH3s. Mine is in the repair shop at the moment with a superficially scratched EVF eyepiece lens, resulting from normal cleaning. I have read reports by users that others have had this problem, so be alert. Presumably the eyepiece glass is soft. In addition some of them have developed looseness in the articulated monitor joint.

I do not do video, never use a touch screen, never set iA and  never use Creative Control Mode. I have no interest in Wi-Fi and never want to perform image editing in camera. But I will be keeping my GH4 and selling the GH3 which is still an excellent camera, by the way. I do regard EVF quality as important and I do want the superior burst/AF-C performance.

I doubt whether many owners would care to use all the possible functions of the GH4. But they are there for those who want them and each individual will have his or her own ideas about that.

The GH4 is like Photoshop to me. I run Photoshop in preference to Lightroom. I don't  use or even remotely understand many of Photoshop's more advanced features but I don't care because it has Bridge which I do want and  I often use functions of Photoshop which Lightroom does not have.

 

The Panasonic Lumix 100-300mm lens was announced in September 2010 along with the GH2 camera body. Since then Panasonic has introduced the G3, 5, and 6, then the GH3 and now the GH4. With each new model comes an increase in performance especially when using burst Mode and AF-C for follow focus on moving subjects.

Unfortunately the performance capability of the 100-300mm lens has not been able to keep up with the camera bodies. The GH4's frame rate in Burst Mode M (7fps) is almost double that of the GH3 (4fps).  Even on the GH3 the 100-300mm lens was unable to run at 4 fps, giving on average about 3 fps.  Unfortunately the 100-300mm lens is not able to match the performance of the GH4 at all.

This is a particular problem because in the GH4 we have for the first time a Panasonic Lumix camera which can genuinely claim to be usable for follow focus on sport/action/wildlife with a high frame rate and on my tests with the 35-100mm lens a very high rate of frames in sharp focus.

For many sports, action, wildlife and similar subjects the 100-300mm lens has the ideal focal length range and is very good optically.

But many users reporting on forums are expressing frustration that the 100-300mm lens does not allow the GH4 to express it's potential.  I have had the same problem.

At f4: AF-S gave 7fps,  AF-C gave 4 fps.

At f8:  AF-S gave 3fps,  AF-C gave 2.3 fps.

When the lens did not have to focus or close down the aperture diaphragm for each shot it ran at 7fps which is the same rate as the 35-100mm lens.

Forcing the lens to focus on each frame slowed it considerably. Forcing it in addition to close the aperture diaphragm made the lens slow even further.

In addition I found that when using the lens on moving subjects in AF-C the hit rate of sharply focussed frames was significantly less (variable but about 70%) than that delivered by the 35-100mm (around 95% with many types of subject).

Other issues  I have been using the 100-300mm a lot lately and have found two other problems on the GH4.

* Even in AF-S Focus Mode, the hit rate of perfectly focussed frames is lower than I get with most other lenses. With the 12-35mm, 35-100mm and 14-140mm which are the lenses I most often use, I see about 1% of frames not in perfect focus provided I use the camera thoughtfully,  don't expect the impossible and don't expect the camera to read my mind.

But with the 100-300mm I am seeing 5-10% of frames not quite in perfect focus. Furthermore I can see no particular reason why the slightly off focus  frames should be so.

* The last one is that the EVF on my GH4 flickers intermittently when the 100-300mm is mounted.  At first I thought I had a faulty camera but it appears to work fine with other lenses. I think the problem is one of partial incompatibility between the GH4 and the 100-300mm lens.

I would very much like Panasonic to update this lens very soon as it has become  obvious that it is not a good match for the GH4 camera body and is holding back the performance capability of the GH4 for sport/action/wildlife photography.